


Cabin: Stranded

by FragmentedSandwiches



Category: New Girl
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Cabin Fic, Cabins, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Gen, Multi, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Snow, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-04
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-25 14:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/954011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FragmentedSandwiches/pseuds/FragmentedSandwiches
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jess and the guys go on a roommate trip to Big Bear Lake... sort of. Takes place sometime between Cooler and Parking Spot.<br/>Written for Mayalala's Cabin prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

"Guys, this is going to be so much fun," Jess said enthusiastically as she stood at the open refrigerator stacking things neatly into a giant cooler; sandwich meat, cheese, milk, leftover turkey and ham from Thanksgiving the previous day, fruit, fresh veggies, mayo, mustard, beer for the guys, and a bottle of wine for herself. Nearby sat a large, reusable shopping bag containing potatoes, pasta, bread, crackers, homemade cookies, tea, soda, paper plates, plastic utensils.

"Jess, do we really need all that stuff?" Schmidt asked as he leaned back against the kitchen table watching her along with Nick and Winston.

"Of course we do!" she popped up from her crouching position at the cooler and smiled at the guys. "It's a cabin in the woods; we're going to need food for the weekend." She dropped the last item into the cooler, closed the lid, and stepped away from the fridge so that the door would close. "You guys almost ready?"

"Well, Jess, I have to drop something off at work. My boss told me that the only way I could take the day off is if I could finish this report I'm working on."

Jess huffed, "Guys! I wanted to get an early start!"

"How about you go on ahead of us, get the cabin all set up, and we'll meet you there in a few hours," Schmidt asked.

"I'm not driving two hours, up to Big Bear by myself! Come on, this was supposed to be a fun roommate trip!"

"Well, how about you take Nick with you, and I'll stay behind with Schmidt and then we'll meet you there," suggested Winston.

Jess and Nick glanced at each other awkwardly. They still weren't sure how to act around each other after he'd kissed her more tenderly and passionately than anyone's ever kissed her, and then left her in the hallway dumbstruck, confused and wanting more.

"Uh, well, I guess..." Jess looked at Nick for his agreement. He began nodding and finished her sentence. "Yeah, that should be- fine. Okay..."

Schmidt looked between the two, not quite sure what THAT was about. "Okay, great. You two head up there, and we'll be an hour or so behind you."

Jess glanced at Nick one more time. "Alright. I just have to go grab the tire chains from my roo-"

"Tire chains?!" All three guys asked in unison.

"Well, yeah, it's almost winter. It's a law that you have to keep tire chains in your car when you drive up the mountain in the winter. I know it's not winter yet, but just in case."

"Jess, you did check the weather report, right? It's not going to snow, is it?"

"Pssh. Of course I checked. No snow in sight this weekend."

 

* * *

 

 Jess and Nick made their way into the elevator, lugging their weekend bags along with the cooler and large, canvas shopping bag of food. As the elevator made its way down to the ground floor, Nick wordlessly slid the strap of her bag off of her shoulder and transferred it to his own, freeing her up to carry just the cooler and shopping bag.

She looked at him shyly and saw him gazing intently at her. This was going to be a long trip.

"Thanks, Nick," she breathed.

Once they reached her car, they quietly packed everything along with their blankets and pillows which had already been stuffed into the trunk earlier.

Jess grabbed one baggie of homemade cookies from the shopping bag. "Snacks for the road," she said and smiled at him, dangling the bag between them.

"Give me your keys; I'll drive," Nick said, reaching out his hand toward her.

"Are you sure, Nick?"

"Yeah. I know you're not a huge fan of driving long distances, and the road gets pretty narrow on the mountain."

She handed over the keys, their fingers touching softly as the keys were transferred to his hand. She blushed and smiled her thanks.

* * *

Once they were on I-10 and Nick was making his turtle face and yelling at traffic, things felt almost normal again between them. It was the first time they were really alone together since the kiss, but it wasn't quite as awkward as she thought it would be.

"Nick, have a cookie," she offered, tapping the cookie on his hand which was gripping the steering wheel.

"I don't need a cookie," he said. "I need this slow jerk in front of me to get out of the passing lane."

"Come on, it will make you feel better."

He glanced at the cookie and back at her, his turtle face neutralizing a bit, and he plucked the offered cookie from her fingers, taking a bite. His eyes went wide, and his mouth turned up at the corners. "Jess, what kind of cookie is this?"

"She smiled, proud of her own personal recipe. "Coconut, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.."

"Jess, they're so good," he smiled at her.

"Welp, there's more where that came from!"

After sharing the cookies, things got less tense. The awkwardness dissipated, and things felt like old times again, talking about nothing and everything at the same time. The mountains could be seen in the distance, already with some snow on them. It was one amazing thing about living in Southern California. Yes, it's sunny almost all the time, flat as a pancake, and the cities look like humongous parking lots, but in less than two hours you can be in the mountains with fresh air, amongst endless trees, the air crisp with the possibility of snow.

* * *

 

Nick glanced in Jess' direction, smiling at the way her feet were propped against the dashboard, her knees curled upward, and her head lolled to the side in sleep. Her cheeks were rosy and the sight of her her pink, supple lips brought back the way it felt to kiss her. His stomach did a flip and then his eyes flew back to the road when he'd accidentally swerved over the center line and an oncoming car alerted him with a drawn-out honk of its horn. His jerking of the car back to his own side of the road woke up Jess with alarmed eyes and a short gasp for breath.

"What's going on?" She asked groggily, running her palm over her face.

"Oh, nothing," he said, clearing his throat. "Just people driving like idiots. The usual."

She stretched languidly next to him and then pulled her feet up onto her seat, wrapping her arms around her shins. "Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"It's okay, we're almost at the foot of the mountain."

He watched, out of the corner of his eye, as Jess gazed out the window at the beautiful sight. The rise of the land before them, the trees gradually getting more dense, the road dappled with sunlight. She placed a hand on Nick's shoulder and turned her beautiful blue eyes on him. His stomach did another one of those flips. Maybe two. 

"Oh, I can't wait. A weekend in the mountains," she exclaimed breathlessly. He placed his hand over hers on his shoulder and slid his fingers over her knuckles before dropping his hand back into his lap. He could have sworn he heard her take in a quick breath of air, the way she had while they'd kissed; when their lips had parted between the two soft kisses, when he hadn't been able to stop himself from bringing his mouth back to hers one, then two more times, a confirmation for her that he'd meant it. That it wasn't just a whim. He frowned at his own inability to express in words what that kiss did to him, how it changed the way he sees her, the deeper way he feels about her now.

"What's wrong," she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Your face... you look bothered."

"It's nothing, Jess. just a little tired from driving."

"We're almost there, right?"

He nodded.

They continued their ascent up the mountain. The road narrowed and became steep. Nick carefully rounded the many curves on the road while enjoying the scenery. Gradually, the trees became more dense, palm trees gave way to pine trees and deciduous trees whose leaves had changed from their normal green to bright and vibrant splashes of color.

"Wow, this reminds me of home, back in Oregon," Jess said quietly. He looked over to her side of the car to see her gazing out the window, a small smile on her face. They passed signs indicating the ski slopes, the cabins, the lake, and Nick followed the way that was indicated to their rented cabin by the lake.

Soon, they pulled up to a quaint-looking cabin. It was surrounded by pine trees and a blanket of brown pine needles was underfoot. The lake could be seen through the trees behind the house, and Jess had jumped out of the car as soon as Nick killed the engine. He slipped the cabin keys, which they'd acquired at the visitor's center on the way in, into his pocket  and followed Jess behind the house. Of course she'd want to explore before going inside to unpack. He caught up to her at the tree line, and they wordlessly made their way through to the rocky beach on the shore of the lake. Clouds had moved in and the air had become chilly, but they both stood on the beach, taking in the view.

"This is really awesome, Jess," Nick murmured.

She turned her face up to him and smiled. After a lingering moment of eye contact, Jess cleared her throat. "Shall we?" She asked, nodding towards the cabin.


	2. Chapter 2

"Smells weird in here," Nick commented as they entered the front door.

She had to agree with him there. "Probably hasn't been used in a while. Snow hasn't fallen yet, so it's definitely off-season." 

"I'm going to go crack some windows," Nick said, traveling throughout the small living room and into the tiny kitchen area, opening each window. There was a thermostat they could turn up when they needed it, but right now this place really needed to be aired out.

As Nick opened windows, Jess explored the rest of the cabin. There was a small hallway with a bathroom and three bedrooms.

"Hey Nick! Looks like two of us will have to share a bedroom!"

"Um..." was all she heard until he was right beside her. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You know who that's going to be, right?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, nervously, staring at her.

"Schmidt and Winston!" she declared. "They want to come up here late, they don't get to choose. It will be hilarious to see them both fit on that twin-sized bed." She laughed, turning around and heading back down the hall.

"I wonder where those guys are, anyway," she said, looking at her watch. Just then her phone chirped.

"Oh, a text from Schmidt," she said, tapping on the message to bring it up onto the screen.

_Not coming. A storm is heading your way. I told you to check the report! Have a fun weekend with Nick!_ _haha._

Her heart thudded. Snow. Storm. A weekend ALONE with Nick.

"Um, Nick?" she squeaked.

"Yeah?" he said, rounding the corner into the hall.

"Um, well, you're going to think this is funny..."

"What, Jess?"

"Ha, ha. I know I think it's funny."

"Jess, tell me!"

"Um, well, That was a text from Schmidt... They're... not... coming."

"WHAT?"

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, there's a um, asnowstormcoming."

"What?" he asked, stretching his neck toward her to hear her better. 

"Um, a snowstorm."

"A what?!" The vein in the side of his neck was popping out.

"Chill out, Nick. Let's make the best of it. It could be really fun... hey, did you like my pun there?" She smiled proudly.

He glared at her, his mouth turning down severely at the corners. "No way, this is not happening."

"Nick!"

"Uh-uh." he said, waving his hands and backing away.

"Come on! We could cook dinner, take a walk outside before it starts snowing, play some games; I brought some cards. ...And there's always Truth or Dare." 

"No truth or dare," he said. "Nope. Not going to happen."

She sighed. "Let's go for a walk, then."

He sighed deeply. "Alright, Jess, let's walk."

* * *

 

 

They made their way back to the lake again, taking the path along the shore. All was quiet except for the lapping of the water on the rocks, some ducks in the distance, and the wind beginning to pick up. Jess wrapped her arms around herself, shielding her body from the damp chill in the air. The sun was nowhere to be seen behind dark, ominous clouds. 

Nick walked closely beside her, his head drawn into his shoulders against the chill. They didn't talk, but she enjoyed his silent, strong presence beside her. She mused about the fact that you know you're really close to someone when you can just be with them in silence, enjoying each others presence.

Suddenly, her left hand was caught up in his right one and she looked at him to see him looking intensely at her.

"Your hand looked cold," he said in a raspy voice. He covered the back of her hand with his other and vigorously rubbed it, creating heat. After a few seconds, his hands slowed, and he gently dropped her hand back to her side.

"Thanks, Nick," she breathed. He was so confusing lately. He'd kissed her and then the next day vehemently denied that it meant anything. And then he brushed his fingers over hers in the car, and now used the cold weather as an excuse to briefly hold her hand. 

She shivered. The sky was getting darker and the chill was rolling in. "Let's go back and make dinner," she said. 

* * *

 

 

After dinner, the sun had set and things outside were dark. It still hadn't started snowing yet. Nick began to wonder if Schmidt was lying just because he and Winston didn't want to come. He asked Jess to pull up the weather app on her phone, and sure enough a large storm was heading their way. Twelve inches were forecast in their area. 

He didn't know what to think about being stuck in a cabin in the woods with Jess. It seemed like a blessing and a curse at the same time. It's so easy spending time with her; the way he could make her laugh, the way they could talk for hours about nothing, with voices quiet and relaxed, enjoying each other's company. But at the same time, he didn't quite know where the boundaries were anymore. That kiss changed everything. Before, he wouldn't give a second thought to the way she tucked her feet under his legs as they watched TV, or the way she would sometimes run her hand down his arm with a warm smile when she passed him in the hall. But now... they'd kissed. He knew that feeling now, the amazing feeling of having her in his arms, of feeling her reciprocate; giving in return what he was giving her. He'd never forget how she smelled so close up like that, the silky way her hair felt in his fingers, the softness of her lips. He didn't know how he would be able to keep his hands to himself this weekend, especially if they had to spend most of their time inside, hunkered down in the warmth while the snow blew around outside.

* * *

 

 

They sat in the living room area playing cards and talking. Jess kept getting up every few minutes to check outside for snow. The giddy way she waited for the first white snowflakes made him smile. 

"What are you so happy about?" she asked returning to their card game.

"What? No. Nothing. Why?" he asked nervously when she'd caught him smiling.

"Oookay," she answered skeptically. Then her eyes grew wide and her mouth opened in a little "O". "Are you excited about the snow, Nick?:

"What? Me? No way. It's cold and wet and it's going to keep us inside for days." 

"No, I think you are, Nick. We have to go for a walk in it once it starts."

"Nope, no way."

"I won't take no for an answer!" she exclaimed.

He frowned, not wanting to reveal to her that he in fact would really enjoy walking with her in the snow.

* * *

 

 

They stayed up way too late waiting for the snow. They had to turn up the heat in the cabin but there was still a chill in the air. Jess had wrapped herself in her comforter looking like she'd made a nest out of blankets. She was adorable. 

The next time she went to the window she squealed "SNOW!" and grabbed his hand to pull him off the couch."Let's go, Nick!" He didn't let go of her hand even after they'd gotten outside. He watched the way she stared up at the sky watching the flakes fall.

"Nick, look straight up. the falling snow make you feel like you're flying through outer space!"

He did as she said and felt his stomach drop at the way it made him feel like he was flying. How could he have never seen this before, in all of the storms he'd lived through in Chicago?

She stuck out her tongue to catch some flakes and turned to him with a smile, her hand still tucked into his. "Isn't this beautiful, Nick?" He just smiled, not taking his eyes off of her. "Yeah, it is."


	3. Chapter 3

Jess lay in bed shivering. The heat wasn't reaching her bedroom. Her hands, feet, and nose were ice cold. She was under her huge pile of blankets but it wasn't cutting it. She could go out to the living room where it's warmer, and sleep on the couch, but the couch is old and she'd had a hard time earlier trying to find a spot where a spring wasn't digging into her butt. It was obvious why they got such a good deal with that Groupon. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

As her frustration and boredom grew, she refused to go all night without sleep. she got up, wrapped her blankets around herself and padded out into the hallway. She knocked softly on Nick's door and there was no answer. She pushed the door open. It wasn't much warmer in his room.

"Nick!" she whispered.

"Mm? What?" he mumbled.

"I'm cold. Can we share a bed?"

Silence. 

"Nick?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Did you hear me?"

Another pause and a sigh. "Yeah, come on. Hop in."

Her stomach flipped and she smiled.

He pulled back the blankets but she began spreading her own blankets over the whole bed, on top of his blankets.

"What are you doing?"

"It's cold."

"I thought that was why we're sharing a bed- shared body warmth."

"Yeah, but your blanket isn't fluffy enough. I need something heavy on me when I sleep."

He scoffed, smiling at her in the darkness.

She finished arranging her blankets on the bed and crawled in. The bed was narrow and she awkwardly lay her head on his pillow. Their faces were close and their bodies touched at their knees. Their elbows brushed when they both went to slide their hands under the pillow at the same time.

She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent- so uniquely him. His aftershave, shampoo, and the earthy sweet smell of his skin. A warmth spread throughout her and her eyes began to droop.

"Goodnight," he murmured, and she was out.

* * *

 She awoke sweating in the middle of the night. She felt beads of sweat in her hairline, along the collar of her pajama top, just everywhere. She reached out to throw one of the blankets off of her, when she met some resistance. Her heart fluttered in her chest when she woke up enough to realized that she was wrapped up in Nick. They still faced each other, but his arm was around her back, angled upward so that his hand was heavy at the nape of her neck. Her arms were curled up between their chests and his foot had wedged itself in between her own two feet. Her forehead was against his chin and she felt her bangs stir slightly with each exhale through his nose. She didn't want to move. She just wanted to sink into him and fall back to sleep. But she was so hot, she needed to get at least one blanket off of them. She gingerly unfurled her arm from in between them, trying to move as little as possible. She slowly grabbed the blanket from over his shoulder and began to peel it back. But she just ended up with double blanket over her own body, unable to reach behind herself far enough to get it off. She heaved a frustrated sigh.

"I'll get it," he said gruffly, removing his hand from her neck to throw the blanket off of her side of the bed. With a sleepy sigh, he placed his hand at her shoulder blade and pulled her to himself more tightly. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest as he settled her against himself, rearranging his limbs slightly to engulf her body even more. She slid her hand back under the remaining blanket to wrap her arm around his waist, and under his comforting weight, she fell back to sleep.

* * *

 

Nick woke up the next morning to the dull gray light coming through the window. Jess was asleep in his arms with her mouth open slightly against his throat. He felt the moistness of her lips against his skin and a warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room spread throughout his body. 

Sleeping Nick really was a different person. When he'd woken up in the middle of the night to her trying to yank the blanket off of them. he was shocked at first at the fact that she was in his arms. Apparently boldness came to him in sleep because Awake-Nick would have never wrapped her up in himself no matter how much he wanted to. And thanks to his still half-asleep state at the time, he'd pulled her closer, right where he'd wanted her. His stomach did another one of those ridiculous flips as he realized that she had seemed perfectly content with that. She even wrapped her arm around his own waist to draw closer to him.

So there they were, in bed in the early morning. He still had her gathered into his arms and he didn't want to leave the little cocoon they'd made for themselves. As he continued to become more aware, so did the slight panic in him. His feelings, though having already begun deepening, were running even deeper after their night together cuddling in bed. He didn't know how he would deal with it if she woke up feeling awkward and avoided him for the rest of the day.

So he let himself enjoy this little amount of time he might have before she wakes up and gives him a reality check. So he softly ran his hand up her back to her hair, pushing it away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He glided his hand to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in the hair at the nape, his arm drawing her closer. She stirred then, and her hand slid to the back of his shoulder, gripping onto him, her face burrowing more deeply into his neck. She took a deep breath and pulled back from him slightly to look at him. She was so rumpled and sleepy-looking that he couldn't help but smile, even though he was so unsure of her reaction and what this all meant and his mind began to whir almost out of control with the fear of losing her. She stretched and smiled back, and then her eyes went wide and she jumped out of bed. 

"Nick! How much did it snow?!" She ran to the window and looked out in wonder. He joined her and when he saw the sight of it he understood her enthusiasm. It was continuing to snow big fluffy flakes and landing on the white blanket of it that had settled overnight. The trees were weighed down with it and the wind had pushed a drift against the cabin, almost up to the window.

"I love snooow" she sang quietly, and the corner of Nick's mouth lifted into a half-smile.

"Open the window," she said.

"Why?"

"I want to hear it," she said, rolling her eyes like it was the silliest question he could ask.

He lifted the window up and she stuck her head out, listening. He joined her and it brought him back to his childhood in Chicago. Going out to play on snow days and the eerie way the snow just silenced everything.

She pulled her head back in and declared that they needed to go outside. He closed the window and replied that they would after breakfast. She nodded, smiled, and turned toward the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I originally posted this on fanfiction.net, and I decided to edit the 4th chapter and split it into two. One more chapter after this one._

The frosty air hit Jess' nose, lifted up her hair around her and she shivered. She heard Nick grunt nearby and when she looked she saw him trying to suck his head into his shoulders, eyes closed against the wind.

"Nick," she chided. "You need a scarf."

"I don't have one," he grumbled

"Oh, I do," she said, heading to the cabin.

"Jess, I'm not going to wear a WOMEN'S scarf," he shouted after her.

"Says the man who wore a woman's trench coat for an entire day!" she shouted behind her as she traveled to the back bedroom to retrieve a pink-fringed, purple knit scarf. 

"Here, I made this," she said once she returned, standing on her toes to loop the scarf over his head. She smiled at the extreme turtle face he made, and saw his eyes soften when she looked into them. She lost her breath for a second before giving the scarf a second loop and tucking the ends into his jacket.

He softly ran his fingers over the exposed part of the scarf above his coat collar.

"You like it?" she asked.

"Yeah, Jess, I do. You do good work."

"I could make you one. A different color, of course."

"I'm not really a scarf guy..."

"I bet you'll become one today just because of that nice purple one you're wearing!"

Jess watched as he turned around slowly, pausing at certain intervals, seemingly putting the scarf to the test. "Ok, Jess. I'll let you make me a scarf."

"Aww, YEah. Can I pick the colors?"

"Nope."

She sighed. "Ok, I'll let you pick."

He smiled, "Thank you."

"How fun! I love making gifts for people."

He made a little huffing sound and placed his hand gently at the small of her back, beginning to guide her towards the back yard. "Come on Jess, Let's walk."

 

* * *

 

They walked along the shore again, having trudged through the knee-deep snow in the yard. The treeline was beautiful, the pine trees having been weighed down with a thick layer of snow, creating a space beneath the lowest branches that felt like crawling through one of the forts he and his brothers used to make as kids. 

They were properly prepared for the weather this time, not feeling the chill the same way they had during their walk the previous evening.

After a few minutes of walking quietly with the only sound being the rocks under their feet, the water lapping gently on the shore, and the ducks in the distance, Nick found Jess' hand in his again, but this time she had been the one who had slipped her hand into his. Her fingers had pressed into his gloved palm, and she'd splayed out her fingers as best as she could in her gloves, and their fingers linked awkwardly with so much padding in between them. He looked over and she smiled. 

Their hands remained linked throughout their whole walk, even when she bent down to collect rocks along the shore where the snow was melting at the water's edge. They had two layers of glove in between their hands, but just the connection with her, unbroken through every small event of their walk was something precious. He pulled her arm closer to him then, holding it up against his chest so that she had to turn towards him. The look of intensity in her eyes knocked the breath out of him. He bent his head forward and captured her lips with his. It took her a moment to respond and his heart dropped in his chest until she opened her mouth slightly to touch the tip of her tongue to his lower lip, and after a soft sweep of her tongue, she closed her lips over his. She threw her arms around his neck and it felt like he couldn't hold her tightly enough. But their mouths pressed more firmly together, the increased passion not sacrificing the tenderness behind it. It was so much like their first kiss, but not as tentative. He boldly pulled her hips against his, then wrapped his arms around her lower back to hold her there. He heard her make an overwhelmed whimpering sound, and he slid both hands up to hold her face to slow down their kiss to a more languid pace. She chased his mouth with hers as he began to back away, and he placed one more quick kiss to her lips. When her eyes opened, he held eye contact, slowly sweeping his thumbs over her cheeks until she smiled brilliantly. She held his wrists in place as she rose on her toes to kiss the tip of his nose. He felt his own mouth curl up into a smile at the gesture.

She grabbed his hand again, pulling him with her to continue the walk.

"This is nice," he said.

She nodded once. "It is. It's been a long time since I've seen snow."

"Me too," he said. "I always loved winter when I was a kid. So much snow. My brother and I would go outside and play in it for hours. Snowball fights, sledding down the hill in our neighbor's yard..."

Jess smiled. "Sounds really fun. I didn't have any siblings to play outside in the snow with, but I would build my own igloos, bring in my tiny inflatable chair, and give myself a concert. I was just fascinated by the acoustics of a hole in the side of a pile of snow."

Nick laughed and squeezed her hand. "I wish I could have known you back then."

"She smiled up at him. "It's okay. You know me now."

"Yup, I do," he said, smiling.

* * *

 

With their cheeks rosy from the wind, their noses almost numb from the cold temperature, they turned back towards the cabin. They began trudging through the knee-deep snow again as they got closer to the tree line.

She had trouble walking, her arms swinging around as she tried to keep her balance in the deep snow. She fell forward, her hands trying to catch herself, her arms plummeting through the blanket of snow and packing snow into her sleeves. 

"Ow," she complained, standing back up straight and rolling her sleeves back to knock the snow out of them. She placed her warm lips against the red skin at her wrists to relieve the sting of the cold.

Nick was right at her side a few seconds later. He took off his gloves and wrapped his hands around her wrists, completely surrounding them in his warm palms and fingers. She looked up then into his face and his eyes locked on hers. They exchanged shy smiles 

The trance was broken when a puff of snow fell on them from a tree branch above their heads. She smiled wider at him and rolled her sleeves back down. 

She continued to struggle as she walked, though, her legs tired from lifting them so high, but Nick, still alongside of her, grabbed onto her upper arm and wrapped his other arm around her back to grip onto her other shoulder, giving her more support to balance her. 

When they reached the cabin, they both exhaled and leaned against the side of the structure in exhaustion. Jess shivered and then twisted the doorknob. They kicked off their boots and went to their respective rooms to change out of their damp clothes.

 

* * *

 

Later that evening, a fire burned in the fireplace and they sat close on the couch; her with a glass of wine and him with a bottle of beer. Her feet were tucked under his legs and she was wrapped up in her blanket. They'd just finished playing a game of Phase 10, and the cards were strewn across the coffee table. 

"What's up?" she asked, wiggling her toes underneath his leg to get his attention.

"Nothing... I'm fine," he said, staring into the fire.

"Come on, Nick. Something's up." She put her glass on the coffee table, looking at him intently.

He was silent for a moment. His mind had been occupied by playing the card game, but now they were quiet and his mind had the chance to spin out of control. What was happening between him and Jess? He felt like there was no going back from this. He'd be absolutely crushed if she didn't return his feelings, if they weren't on the same page. 

After taking another swig of his beer, he looked straight at her. "Jess, what are we?"

"What?

"I mean... come on, Jess, you know what I mean." He said as he began to pick the label off of his beer bottle.

She stammered as she began to answer. "I'm not sure, Nick. What do you think?"

"I asked you first." This is where they were again? Back at the same place as the day after they kissed? Denial and fear screwing things up again.

"Are you kidding me?" her voice got louder, her face turning red.

"No, Jess, I'm not." he said, running his hand over his face.

She looked at him for a second, straight in his eyes, obviously weighing out what she was about to say. "It should be clear to you what we are, Nick. After these past couple days." She pulled her feet out from under his thighs, bringing her wine glass to the sink. Wrapping her comforter more tightly around herself, she stomped down the hallway to her room, slamming the door.

Nick leaned his head back, sighing as it hit the back of the couch. "Screwed up, as usual," he muttered. He threw back the rest of his beer and slammed the bottle too loudly into the sink.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. It's actually been finished for a few weeks and has been sitting on my computer._

Jess changed into some flannel pajamas and slid into bed. She lay awake, thinking about the day, about waking up in his arms, spending the day together with that spark in between them, and then that kiss... that kiss.

It had to mean something. There's no way it didn't. But he couldn't even admit it.  She didn't want to acknowledge it but part of it was on her. She's too afraid to put herself out there, too afraid of getting hurt again, as it had been the theme in her love life that she was always the one who loved more. 

Frustrated with herself and unable to sleep, she sat up in her bed with her chin resting on her knees, looking out the window at the moonlight reflecting off the snow. She continued to mull over her relationship with Nick; this complicated thing whatever it was. She couldn't lose him. He was so important to her that she couldn't handle it if things didn't work out and it ruined their friendship.

Since her mind was in overdrive, she decided to go to the kitchen to make some tea. She tiptoed out of her room and down the hall to the kitchen where Nick had left a dim light on.

As she was heating up some water in the microwave,  her hands resting on the counter, looking down, she suddenly felt a presence at her right. She jumped when she saw Nick standing next to her.

"What are you doing sneaking up on me?!" she asked, scoffing, her frustration over their earlier conversation tainting her mood.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you! I was walking normally! You're the one standing next to the microwave while it's running."

"Ugh, Nick!" she shouted, stomping her foot, her hands in fists at her sides.

"Jess, just-" he growled in frustration, while rooting through the cabinet. He pulled out a box of her tea and she watched as he took a tea bag out of the paper wrapper. 

Since when does Nick drink tea?

The microwave beeped and before she had a chance to open it, he gently placed his hand over her wrist and drew it away from the handle. Gently, he swept his fingers over the sensitive part of her wrist while he opened the microwave with his other hand.

"Nick, what-- Uhm, my tea. That's my tea." She swallowed, still feeling the tingle of his fingers on her wrist.

"I know," He said quietly, dropping her wrist to her side. She watched as he placed the tea bag into the hot water, dipping in and out as it steeped. He added a teaspoon of sugar, just how she liked it, and stirred.

"You're making me tea?"

"I'm making your tea, Jess."

The room was blurry around the edges as tears sat at her eye lids. She blinked them back as he pushed the mug toward her. She glanced up at him, still feeling the sheen of tears in her eyes, and the way he smiled at her- so warm- began to stir up everything from before. From that non-conversation they had before going to bed.

She took a sip of her tea, and drew strength from it, looked straight at Nick. "Can we re-open that conversation from earlier?"

Nick stood with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. "Ok, sure."

They both headed over to the couch, facing each other from opposite ends. With her cup of tea cradled in her hands, she took a deep breath. "Nick, let's just cut to the chase, here. I meant what I said before. Everything that has happened in the past few days, all of those little moments? They were real."

Nick was silent, a smile touching his lips. "For me too," he said, finally.

"So..." she started, sipping her tea.

"So."

"Are we going for this?"

He gently took the mug out of her hands, placing it on the table, then pulled her into him. "Yeah," he said in a low voice.

"Ok. Because I like you, Nick." 

He took her face in his hands and kissed her, a soft lingering touch of his lips to hers. "I like you too. A lot."

She giggled and kissed him back more fervently.

He stood up, pulling her with him, lifting her up so that her legs were wrapped around his waist. They kissed all the way into his bedroom, her hands in his hair, his around her back. He gently placed her on the bed and looked at her, silently confirming her consent. She smiled and yanked him by his shirt so that he landed on top of her.

 

* * *

The next morning, Nick woke up to being more wrapped up in Jess than he had been the night before. His arms wrapped around her thighs, her arms holding his head against her chest, their legs woven together.  

After a few minutes of enjoying their intimate position, of reflecting back on their night together, her fingers began to slip through his hair. In response his hand traveled to her side and fisted in the t-shirt of his that she'd pulled on in the middle of the night. His eyes drifted closed again as she leaned down to kiss his head and turned her body into his. He had never felt such contentment before.

Their blissful, sleepy bubble was burst when they heard a noise outside. "What was that," she asked, untangling herself from his limbs. 

He tried to pull her back into him. "I don't know. I don't care... Come here." He pulled on her waist to bring her back towards him, and she laid back against his chest.

"I think it was the snow plow."

"Mm-hmm," he murmured.

"That means we can go home today."

"Jess..." he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

"Or... we could stay in bed all day and go home tomorrow."

"Best idea you've ever had," Nick said, wrapping a strand of her hair around his finger.

They could get back to reality tomorrow, put off worrying about how to deal with their loftmates finding out about about their new relationship status. But for now, they could just enjoy each other, one more day in their own little bubble. Never in his life had Nick been so grateful for a snowstorm.

 

 

_A/N: I wrote this the "I like you" in this story before all of the "I like you" stuff from the first few episodes..._


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